Haunted House
by AnimeRANDOMNESS
Summary: After Deepground's defeat, Reno asks Yuffie out on a date, and is surprised the answer is yes. But a certain red-caped gunslinger does not approve. And when the couple visits the Gold Saucer's Haunted House, the fun REALLY begins...
1. Chapter 1

**This is just a fun little story set soon after Dirge of Cerberus. It'll feature some RenoXYuffie and YuffieXVincent, but nothing over the top. I'm going to keep this fanfic short, so don't expect more than a few chapters. You can, however, expect the next chapter to be out in the next few days. Please review, as reviews are the Pheonix Downs that keep this author chugging away! I hope you enjoy!**

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After the events of Meteorfall, the members of AVALANCHE had celebrated with a week of well-earned festivities on the Gold Saucer. Then, they had went their separate ways, and enjoyed three years of relative peace until all Hell broke loose. Geostigma, Kadaj and his gang, Sephiroth's revival, Deepground, Hojo…and all had happened within months. By the time Omega was taken down, the members of AVALANCHE were dead tired. So, when Tifa had suggested another vacation to Gold Saucer, everyone wholeheartedly agreed.

It was only when they were checking in at the hotel, and Cid had noticed Elena and Reno also at the counter, that they realized they weren't the only ones who had come up with the idea. Yuffie was the first to respond; she crossed the space in two quick strides and sucker punched Reno in the face. Cloud and Vincent ended up having to pull the ninja off of him, and Tifa had explained – _again_ – that the Turks were no longer their enemies. Then, in private, she had added, "At least, not right now."

Once they were all settled in their rooms – girls in one, guys in another – they gathered together to discuss their plans.

"So, what do we want to do first?" Tifa asked the group.

"Straight to the bar fer me," Cid Highwind announced, chewing on his cigarette, "I'm gonna get so damn drunk, I won't be able to tell you from Vincent!"

The gunslinger in question shot him with an icy crimson-eyed stare. But Cid did not get the point.

"Well, if you cut that girly hair a'yours, you wouldn't have a problem, would'ja?" the pilot laughed gruffly.

Vincent said nothing; instead, he slowly raised his gleaming metal claw, as if to remind his companion of its existence. Cid's guffaws slowly died into nervous chuckles.

"I was just _kiddin'!"_ he added, before adding under his breath, "Damn humorless vampire…"

Marlene spoke up next, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Daddy's taking me and Denzel to the amusement park!"

"That's right!" Barret cooed, patting her head fondly, "We're gonna ride every single ride they got!"

He glanced at Denzel, grinning.

"Right, kiddo?"

The boy grinned back.

"Uh huh!" he said enthusiastically, then turned to Shelke, "You're coming too, right?"

All the members of the group looked at her. The former Tsviet replied in her usual monotonous tone.

"Studying the physics behind the attractions would prove beneficial."

Marlene, who had recently dubbed Shelke one of her bestest best friends, went up and took her hand, replying in a matter of fact tone of voice, "That means she wants to ride the Merry-Go-Round."

Most kindly suppressed their smiles, but Cid and Barret couldn't help but chuckle. Suddenly, Yuffie Kisaragi, the self-proclaimed Single White Rose of Wutai, stood up, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm going to the Haunted House!" she declared loudly, "And Vincent's going to take me!"

All the members of AVALANCHE starred. The cape-clad gunslinger didn't move from where he was standing.

"We have already discussed this, Yuffie," he replied, sounding slightly weary, "And I already gave you my answer."

Yuffie's shoulders slumped, her grinning countenance turning upset.

"But Vin-ceeent," she whined, "That's not fair! I've _always_ wanted to go to a haunted house!"

"Then go," Vincent said, "But I will not be joining you."

The ninja tried her best to make herself look as cute as possible. She jutted out her bottom lip, her auburn eyes wide and pleading.

"Please? Please, please, _pleeeeease?"_

His pale, stoic face did not soften in the slightest.

"No, Yuffie," the gunslinger said firmly.

Yuffie abandoned her current tactic. Her face screwed up in frustration.

"Why not?" she demanded, "It's not like you have any other plans!"

"Yeah," Cid agreed, which surprised everyone, "Why are you so against seein' a haunted house anyways? Seems the kinda place you'd like to hang out at after…"

Vincent met the pilot's eyes coldly, who suddenly remembered that the gunslinger had spent thirty years locked in a haunted house, and not entirely of his own free will.

"…ah," he finished weakly, and suddenly became engrossed with lighting a new cigarette.

Cloud cleared his throat, and tried to change the subject.

"So…"

But Yuffie was not to be distracted.

"You don't have any other plans!" she repeated, attention still fully engrossed by the raven-haired man, "If you don't come with me, you're just going to wind up doing the exact same thing you did last time we came…_nothing!_ Is that what you want?_"_

Vincent met her accusing stare, crimson eyes unblinking, his face emotionless other than a slight frown.

Furious, the ninja clenched her hands into fists, and she seemed to shake a little.

"_Fine then!"_ Yuffie finally exploded, "Go ahead! See if I care! Spend the night in the room being miserable and alone! It's the only thing you're _good_ at!"

Before their argument could escalate any more, and their friends get any more uncomfortable, there was a loud knock on the door.

"I'll go answer it!" Tifa volunteered quickly, and was up and running for it before anyone could say anything. The door opened to reveal a most unexpected guest.

Reno the Turk was standing at the doorway. He raised his hand in greeting, smiling boyishly. Yuffie's fist mark was still glaring red on his jaw.

"Hey," he said cheerfully, "Looks like we aren't the only ones who need a break."

"Oh, hey, Reno," Tifa said, forcing a smile, "Is there…something you need?"

"Actually, I was kind of hoping to talk to the gorgeous chick who kicked my ass earlier," the turk replied, peeking his head inside, "Is…she here?"

Tifa blinked. A few seconds later, she slowly said,

"You mean…Yuffie?"

The red-haired man brightened.

"Yeah! Yuffie."

Confused, martial artist turned around to call her friend, but the girl was already behind her. She had heard the whole conversation. The ninja crossed her arms and tilted her head, a threatening posture that screamed _buzz off._

"What do _you_ want?" she asked flatly.

The red-headed Turk didn't seem to take offense at all; rather, he leaned against the doorframe with one arm.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," he said.

This thoroughly surprised the ninja. Her arms drifted to her sides.

"You wanted to apologize…for _me_ punching _you_ in the face?" she asked in bewilderment.

Reno chuckled nervously, smoothing back his hair.

"Uh, no, I meant _earlier_ earlier. You know, for the things that happened a few years ago. I never really got the chance to say I was sorry, so, well…I'm sorry. I was kinda hoping you would let me make it up to you."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow.

"How's that?"

"Well, how about dinner, for starters," the Turk said, flashing a devilish smile, "There's a great Wutaian restaurant not too far from here, and maybe afterwards we could go to…"

"…the Haunted House," Yuffie interrupted, "I want to go to the Haunted House."

"Yeah! Sure! The Haunted House!" Reno agreed instantly, beaming, "So you'll come?"

The ninja's auburn eyes sparkled with a sudden idea. She cast a mischievous glance at Vincent, before turning back to Reno.

"What time will you pick me up?"

"Seven sound good to you?" he asked, looking happily surprised about her change of attitude.

"Seven is perfect," Yuffie replied, winking flirtatiously, "It's a date, then!"

The Turk blushed slightly, but was grinning ear to ear.

"See you then…Yuffie!"

Then he was gone down the hall, and the ninja closed the door. Whirling around to face her friends, she smiled.

"Change of plans! _I_ have a _date!"_ Yuffie announced, enunciating the words loudly, apparently in case any of her friends were wearing earplugs. She grabbed a hold of the martial artist standing next to her and began pulling her towards the door, "C'mon, Tifa! I need a _massive_ makeover! It's been a dragon's age since I've wanted to look nice for someone!"

Her friend didn't even have a chance to reply before Yuffie dragged her out into the hallway and slammed the door, leaving the rest of the members of AVALANCHE to stare after her.

Cid rubbed his head, and gave a tired glance at Vincent.

"Well, shit," he said, "You can tell she's pissed at _you."_

He was rewarded with a heavy smack from Barret's gun-arm. Before the pilot could utter any more profanity, his towering friend hit him with a glare.

"_Stop cussin' in front of my little girl!"_ he ordered.

Shelke got to her feet, Marlene still happily holding her hand.

"Perhaps we should follow Yuffie Kisaragi's lead and depart."

"Good plan," Barret remarked, and lifted Denzel onto his shoulders one-handed, which the boy obviously thought was incredible. "C'mon, let's move out! We're wastin' day light!"

The four of them left, followed soon after by Cid, then Reeve, and Red XIII, until the only ones who remained were Cloud and Vincent. The ex-SOLDIER sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yuffie's right, you know," he said, "We're here to have fun. You should go do something that you enjoy."

And with that, he strode out of the room, leaving his friend behind. The gunslinger was grateful for this, because if anyone had looked too closely, they would have noticed that his normally impassive face was not so impassive now. And while it was true he had planned on spending a quiet evening by himself, his plans had changed the moment that Turk had ogled Yuffie. He had been able to tell from his lingering gaze _exactly_ what that brazen red-head had wanted.

His human hand clenched into a fist.

"Do something I enjoy?" Vincent mused quietly, malicious intent filling his crimson eyes, "Yes, I can think of something."


	2. Chapter 2

Coming to the Gold Saucer hadn't been Reno's idea. Truth be told, he would have much rather gone on vacation in Costa del Sol. What could he say? He was a sucker for bikinis.

But when Rufus had suggested a company retreat at the Gold Saucer, Reno had leapt at the chance. After all, only a complete and utter moron turns down an all-expenses-paid trip, work or no work. And Reno had been determined to make the most of it. First item on the vacation agenda; cruise for chicks. The red-head's lady's man tendencies had become a running joke among the other Turks. Elena called all his love interests "Girl of the Week", and every time he found a girlfriend, Elena, Rude, and Tseng made a betting pool on how long it would last. Even Rufus was known to bet on occasion.

It wasn't really Reno's fault. He wasn't purposefully doing it. It was just that, inexplicably, every girl he had ever dated seemed to have one personality flaw that ended up driving him batty. Some were too clingy, some too needy, and some didn't know an Electro-Mag Rod from a piece of piping. But without fail, the relationship would eventually end, and Reno would be left unhappily single yet again. So it was only natural that when he and the rest of the Turks arrived on the Gold Saucer, Reno had wanted to find a special girl.

He just hadn't counted on having his clock cleaned by her.

One minute he was standing at the check-in counter, and the next he was flat on his back with a throbbing jaw, starring up into the enraged eyes of the Princess of Wutai herself. He hadn't even recognized her at first; she looked so _different_ than he remembered her. Her gangly body had grown full and slender, and the tight blue sweater and short shorts she was wearing showed off her womanly curves. Even her face had matured, though, with her bobbed hair cut, she still retained a look of girlish playfulness. The only things that hadn't changed were her eyes, passionate orbs of fiery auburn that commanded respect and threatened dismemberment.

Reno had been so mesmerized by her metamorphosis that he could only gawk up at her as she beat the living snot out of him. But somehow, being beaten up by a hot chick wasn't all that bad. In fact, he had kind of _liked_ it.

He hadn't expected her to say yes; the best case scenario he had imagined was getting a door in the face. But when Yuffie had agreed to the date, and winked at him, Reno had suddenly felt like a baby pheonix was doing a can-can in the pit of his stomach.

Reno arrived at the door five minutes before seven, which allowed him a few moments to check over himself. Instead of his normal uniform, he had worn a navy blue dress shirt, a thin black tie, and black slacks. He pulled uncomfortably at the tie; dang, it had been a long time since he had had to wear a tie. The Turk hadn't even been going to wear one, but Rude had told him to. In fact, he hadn't been planning to change out of his normal attire at all, until Elena ordered him to, because, in her exact words, no girl wanted to date "a guy who didn't look like he knew how to work a washing machine".

Reno fiddled with the tie more and more, until finally, he just yanked it off in frustration and stuffed it into his pocket. If Yuffie had said yes when he had looked like a rumpled mess, then a tie wasn't going to be a deal-breaker. The red-head suddenly became acutely aware of something rubbing against his head, and reached a hand up to find his goggles still in place. Aw, crap, he had forgotten about the goggles.

But the door had opened, and it was too late to worry about them now.

Out stepped Yuffie, wearing a sleeveless purple top with a golden dragon running down one side, and an indigo mini-skirt. It was the first time he had seen her with makeup on; her lips were sparkling pink, her auburn eyes highlighted with deep mauve, and her eyelashes were dark and full of mascara. The sweet smell of her jasmine perfume filled the air.

Yuffie looked at him and smiled, and suddenly, Reno wished he had kept on the tie.

* * *

Unseen and silent as a ghost, Vincent Valentine crouched down on the top of a building, watching. He had followed the couple along the rooftops from their hotel to the restaurant, where they, thankfully, had taken a window seat. The red-headed Turk – Reno – had sat down on one side, and Yuffie had sat down at the other.

Vincent frowned in disdain. He hadn't pulled out her chair for her. Perhaps he was just being old-fashioned. Perhaps this was the way men behaved on dates nowadays.

Or perhaps Reno had been raised by pigs in a barn.

The gunslinger favored the last one more. He had heard of this Turk, and the seemingly endless trail of broken hearts he left behind him. And he'd be damned if he just stepped aside and let Yuffie become one of them.

But Yuffie didn't seem to be unhappy. Reno had said something, and she was laughing. She looked like she was enjoying herself. Vincent grimaced. He didn't know if he liked _that_ either.

The two received their food shortly, and the raven-haired man saw something even more disquieting. Yuffie was sitting up straight, taking dainty bites with her chopsticks. Usually, Yuffie ate her food with about as much etiquette as a Hellhound – a _starving_ one. But there she was, eating her sushi with all the refinement of a geisha. It made sense, Vincent supposed. He kept forgetting she was actually the princess of Wutai; she had surely been taught manners.

However, it frustrated him to no end that she would choose to exhibit them to this _boy_.

The red-headed Turk in question, who was quite obviously not well versed with chopsticks, was having difficulties. Yuffie giggled and reached over to help him, but even with her assistance, he proved to be hopeless at it, and reached for his fork.

A smirk spread over Vincent's lips. The _fool._

That smile soon vanished, however, when Yuffie, sporting a coy grin, plucked a dumpling off his plate with her chopsticks, and popped it into Reno's mouth. His face colored; outside, the gunslinger's face colored as well, but for an entirely different reason.

Once they had finished, the Turk fished inside his pocket for something, and drew out a small box tied with a ribbon. Yuffie looked at it eagerly, but again remembering her manners (much to Vincent's vexation), unwrapped it slowly. It was a summon Materia – a mastered one, no less – strung on a necklace. The girl made no attempt to conceal her delight. She put it on immediately, and apparently he said something about it suiting her, because she beamed as bright as a star.

A metallic groan reached Vincent's ears. He glanced down to find that his claw had unconsciously crushed the side of the sign he had been holding on to. A burning, vicious sensation was gnawing at his heart. It was an emotion that he had not felt in decades, and he struggled to name it. When he did realize what it was, the gunslinger was stunned: _jealousy._

He frowned heavily, and glanced back at the two inside the restaurant. Jealousy? But why? Then Reno said something else, something that made Yuffie blush and smile. A warm, shy smile.

And another wave of bitter jealousy poured over him.

Vincent silently wondered if it was because it had been a lifetime since anyone had given him such a smile…or because he was not likely to ever get one again.

The thought pained him, but he forced it and his jealousy aside, concentrating on watching Yuffie and the Turk. They were chatting cheerfully over dessert. Yuffie pointed towards Reno's green tea ice cream, and the gunslinger could tell she was asking for a bite. He wholeheartedly obliged. Judging from the way he had been starring at her all night, if Yuffie asked to put a saddle on his back and ride him around like a chocobo, he would wholeheartedly oblige. Though, Vincent couldn't really blame him. The form-fitting outfit that she had chosen was…_distracting_, to say the least.

Vincent shifted uncomfortably, and began to question more and more why he was doing this. He had been so sure he was doing it for Yuffie's sake. Though the girl often teased him, and talked his ear off on occasion, she was still a dear friend. Actually, he realized, remembering the recent Deepground incident, she was his _closest_ friend.

And maybe he was just being a _bit_ too overprotective.

The gunslinger sighed quietly, shaking his head at his own folly. What on Gaia had gotten into him? He was too old to be behaving this way. Yuffie was no helpless maiden; she could take care of herself, as she had proved on many occasions. Besides, the red-headed Turk was a brash, tasteless, immature idiot, but he didn't seem to be _dangerous_.

Feeling foolish, Vincent straightened up, preparing to head back to the hotel. He cast one last glance at the couple.

The bill had been paid and the pair stood. The red-head extended a hand with a flourish, clearly saying _after you._ Yuffie grinned and began walking towards the front entrance. Reno followed after her…but not before his eyes strayed downward, and lingered appreciatively on the back of her mini-skirt.

Vincent quite nearly went Galian Beast right then and there.

When the two of them emerged from the restaurant and started towards the Haunted House, a furious crimson-eyed gunslinger, who had completely forgotten his earlier qualms, followed after them, with only one thing on his mind: scaring the red right out of that cocky bastard's hair.


	3. Chapter 3

In the entirety of his life, Vincent Valentine had only wanted to throttle two people to death. One was Hojo, for painfully obvious reasons. The second, and most recent addition, was Reno, who had broken the previous record by adding himself to the list in a matter of hours. But regardless of what he _wanted _to do, Vincent still had his morals; he was not planning on killing anyone tonight.

However, _'killing'_ and _'scarring for life'_ were two completely different things.

* * *

Being a Friday night, there was a line to get into the Haunted House. Reno was alright with waiting; once they were inside, he wouldn't be able to see Yuffie as well. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off her the entire night.

An announcement rang out over the intercom.

"_Welcome to the Gold Saucer's famous Haunted House. There are three levels, starting from the basement and ending in the attic. Each level becomes increasingly more frightening, and as such, there is an exit on every floor that leads back outside. We strongly recommend guests with heart problems or those with medical histories __**do not **__visit the third floor. Be assured that our Haunted House uses only animatronics, and nothing will be able to touch you. Please be sure to stay on the path at all times. Thank you, and have a pleasant time."_

As the next group went inside, five individuals, who had obviously gotten no further than the first floor, exited, pale and trembling. Beside him, Yuffie snickered.

"_Wusses,"_ she whispered.

Reno felt another swell of infatuation rise to his chest. The Turk couldn't remember the last time he had fallen for a girl so hard, and so fast. But she was so _different_ than most girls. Yuffie was strong, independent, but also playful and easy to talk to. She spoke her mind without sugar-coating it, and had an impish wit that completely charmed him. She was a ninja, a good one, and was the first to tell you so. She wasn't one of those girls who would wait by their phone, expecting a call every hour. Heck, he'd probably end up waiting by _his._

Reno looked at her again, allowing himself another brief once-over. A good-humored, confident fighter, wrapped up in a hot little mini-skirt clad package. There had never been a girl so close to being perfect.

Yuffie fingered the Materia around her neck, and cast a sideways glance in his direction. A tiny smile played on her full lips.

"Missing something?" she asked sweetly, batting her eyes.

The Turk blinked. _Huh?_

The ninja turned just enough to let him see she was twirling an Electro-Mag Rod in her nimble fingertips. Reno quickly reached down to his side, and found that his had mysteriously vanished.

Yuffie winked at him.

"Gotta be quicker than that, carrot-top," she said, flipping the electrified baton and catching it. The girl gave the weapon a fleeting look, and then tossed it back to him. "New model, huh? I heard this one doesn't short out as much."

Reno could only stare.

Scratch that. She _was_ perfect.

The princess of Wutai stuck her tongue out teasingly, before turning her attention back to the front of the line.

"Oops, here we go," she said, grinning widely, "And unless I'm absolutely scared _stupid_, I'm demanding a refund."

Reno paid the attendant, and they, along with eight others, were ushered inside. Strategically hidden lights cast an eerie red glow over the plaster 'stone' walls. Cobwebs were strewn liberally over everything. As they kept walking, he noticed that some of the stones in the wall were actually human bones. One of the others in the group leaned over to examine a skull, and a rat's head popped out of its eye socket and hissed angrily. The young woman shrieked, and the others jumped back a step.

Yuffie didn't even blink.

Farther down the hall, there was an old blood spatter against a wall, along with a few bloody handprints. The apparent murder weapon, a dagger, had pinned a scrawled note to the desk, that read,

"_Long did me and Marcus fued,_

_Over the fairest in the land,_

'_Till he locked me in my room one night,_

_And put a gold ring on her hand._

_He crushed my heart and stole my love,_

_And left my ego sore,_

_But while he only won the battle,_

_I have won the war."_

The rest of the group shivered. Yuffie rolled her eyes.

As they continued walking, Reno got an uncomfortable feeling. It was like something was watching him. He turned around quick enough to catch a glimpse of crimson eyes staring at him from a darkened corner. But a second later, they had vanished.

That was a little unnerving, the Turk had to admit. Maybe the Haunted House was just getting warmed up.

The next room was an old torture chamber. A rack stood on one end (ripped-apart skeleton included), and a tarnished Iron Maiden and a spike-covered chair sat against the other wall. Shackles and chains hung from the ceiling. Two shelves of human skulls took up a third wall, and under each was a plaque telling the name of the victim_. First Wife, Second Wife, Gardiner, Third Wife, Servant, Head Chef, Butler, Fourth Wife's Lover, Fourth Wife,_ and lastly, a bloodied skull, underneath which was _Executioner._

This earned a frightened whimper from the other ladies. From Yuffie, it elicited only a slight yawn.

Reno hung behind a few more seconds to examine the rack. It was made of actual metal, and realistic rust had been painted onto it. There were even small cracks and chips on the bones of the skeleton. They certainly had spent some money on this place, the red-head gave them that.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw someone standing next to him. A tall man with long black hair and violent crimson eyes, wearing a bright red cape. But when he spun around, there was no one there.

Confused, and slightly anxious, Reno hurried after the others. They were entering what appeared to be a small labyrinth. He let Yuffie choose the way; his thoughts were elsewhere.

_That guy,_ Reno thought to himself, _I've seen him somewhere before, I know it…_

After a few minutes, the Turk suddenly remembered. He was one of Cloud's group.

"Hey, Yuffie," the Turk said, following her around a corner, "That guy…the one who wears a cape. His name's Vincent, right?"

The girl's eyes widened slightly, then furrowed.

"What about him?" she huffed, turning her attention back to the maze.

"He's a friend of yours, right?"

The ninja snorted.

"Yeah. But he sure doesn't _act_ like it sometimes. Why?"

Reno stepped over a chain-covered coffin.

"Oh, nothing, I just…thought I saw him in here."

Yuffie gave a short, somewhat acidic, laugh.

"Him? _Here?_ No way! This is fun, and Vincent is _anti-fun_. He's probably just brooding back in the room, reading some dumb old book." She glanced back at him, "Surprised that _you_ don't know him, though. He used to be a Turk."

"Really?" The red-head asked, surprised.

"Yeah, a long time ago, I guess. One of the best, I heard. But…some things happened, and well…" her voice softened, "...long story short, Shinra screwed him. In a major way."

"So he hates Turks?" Reno asked uncomfortably.

"No, he hates _Shinra_, Turks included," the ninja corrected, "No surprise there, seeing as you nearly got the planet fried and all. We kind of _all_ hate Shinra's guts."

The red-head flashed his most devilish smile, and leaned over her.

"Do you hate _my _guts?"

"Not right now," Yuffie replied, giving him a light punch in the shoulder, which, not surprisingly, stung, "But I used to. Actually, I wanted your guts mounted in a frame on my wall. I was even going to have an engraved nameplate put on it that said 'Guts of Reno the Turk, slain by the Great Ninja Yuffie'. But…"

She winked again at him.

"…right now I'm sort of leaning towards you _keeping_ your guts."

And with that, she skipped coyly down the narrow passageway, hopping over a mummy. Reno was going to follow after her when he felt warm breath at the back of his neck.

"_I'm not," _a voice said icily.

The Turk jumped, and whirled around to greet empty space. He looked back down the hall, but Yuffie had already disappeared around the corner, and it too, was empty. He paused, then hurried after the ninja, casting a few fretful glances behind him.

Somehow or another, all the members of the group arrived at the end where, true to the announcement at the beginning, both an exit door and a staircase awaited them. Six of their party promptly excused themselves, most of whom gave an excuse about suddenly feeling ill, and exited the building.

"_What a bunch of chickens,"_ Yuffie mumbled, before turning to the red-headed Turk behind her, and grinning widely, "Come on, Reno! This is just starting to get fun!"

Up in the dark corner he was hiding, Vincent couldn't agree more.


	4. Chapter 4

Reno, Yuffie, and the other couple climbed the stairs, and soon found themselves on the second level. It was darker than the basement, and seemingly only lit with candles. The doorway of one room cast a bright light on the hallway floor. A woman's soft hum wafted from it. They peeked inside.

A woman, wearing a frilled apron, stood with her back to them at the old oven, stirring a large pot of soup. It would have seemed completely innocent…aside from the _human hand_ sticking out of the pot. The woman suddenly spun around, smiling warmly, and the four saw the front of her was apron was covered in blood.

"Would you like to stay for supper?" she asked in a sweet, somewhat mechanical, voice.

The young woman in their group let out a small shriek, and her boyfriend paled. Yuffie smirked.

"Oh. Too bad," the bloody apron-clad woman sighed, and returned to stirring her human stew.

They continued down the hallway to the next open door.

Inside the dimly lit bedroom, a little girl with powdery white skin, and wearing a black dress with ruffles, sat at a table playing tea-party with her dolls. Well, they were dressed up like dolls. Upon closer inspection, though, it was apparent they were mummified remains.

"Would you like some more tea, mother dear?" she asked, giggling, "Isn't this lovely? Now you _always_ have time to play with me. Have some cake, father. You're looking a bit thin."

The other couple went white as a sheet. Yuffie's smirk became a grin.

"Creepy," she murmured, "I _like_ it."

But Reno was unable to enjoy himself. He kept glancing uncomfortably over his shoulder.

He knew he had heard that voice, just like he knew he had seen the red-caped man. Regardless of what Yuffie thought, that Vincent guy had to be in there somewhere. And the more he learned about him, the less he liked the idea of spending any time with him. According to Yuffie, Vincent had it out for Shinra, and the red-head was guessing he didn't like the idea of a Turk going out with his friend. But surely he wouldn't have followed them there…would he?

"Hey, Yuffie," Reno said, trying to sound casual, "What you said about Vincent before…about him being a Turk. He was good, huh?"

"That's what I heard," the ninja replied, snickering when the young man with them jumped at the sound of a low growl, "I can't vouch for that personally, but I know that _now_ he's an expert marksman. Like, he's freaking _insane_ with a gun. You know the Emerald Weapon?"

"Yeah…" he replied, remembering.

Yuffie's face became serious, and she held up a single finger.

"He took it down in _one shot."_

The color drained from Reno's face.

"_W-What?"_ He choked.

"Yep. _One,"_ Yuffie repeated, and a look of affectionate pride filled her face, "You should see what he can do with his _claw_. He ripped a dragon in half from tail to snout. So, yeah, he's pretty much a badass."

Thankfully, it was too dark for Yuffie to see the horror that had crept onto the red-head's visage.

A badass with a grudge. _Crap,_ he thought miserably.

At the very least, Reno was extremely glad he had brought his Electro-Mag Rod. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that. Hopefully he'd be able to talk him down. But if not, maybe a few good electrified whacks would make him think twice. Hopefully.

Reno opened his mouth to ask another question, but saw that the other couple had squealed, and Yuffie had rushed to investigate. He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.

A cold, hard hand slipped onto his shoulder. Reno froze. Shaking, he slowly looked down to see a brass-colored metal claw.

"_Having fun?"_ a voice inquired coldly.

The red-headed Turk let out a cry. Grabbing his Electro-Mag Rod, he spun around, poised to strike the gunman across the face.

Except that he wasn't there.

Reno continued to stand that way, rod at the ready, taking a few deep breathes. There was nothing back down the hall. But something had been there. There had to have been _something_. The Turk knew he had a vivid imagination, but _come on_. He could still feel the chill from the cold metal on his shoulder!

Vincent had been there, standing not a foot from him. And he was pretty darn sure it wasn't just to pat him on the back and say 'hello'.

The red-head chased after the rest of the group. He had to tell Yuffie. Maybe she would know how to calm down her psychotic, crimson-eyed friend.

_Hold it,_ Reno's mind ordered, _Slow down. You don't need to go running to Yuffie. She'll think you're a wimp. But if you take care of this problem yourself… _

He paused. Well, now, that would definitely win her respect. And it wouldn't be _that_ hard. Reno knew himself to be a pretty good fighter. _Really good_, in fact. If he could time it just right, he could bring his rod down on the gunman's electricity-conducting claw, and then K.O. time.

After a few moments of careful consideration, Reno decided to try it. Not only would Yuffie be mad at Vincent for following them, but she'd be impressed by his own quick reflexes. And while he knew it wouldn't result in her crying out _My hero!_ and jumping into his arms, it would probably improve his chances for a good night kiss.

Grinning, the red-headed Turk headed down the corridor after the group, keeping his Electro-Mag Rod at the ready. The next time Vincent tried to surprise him, he'd have a little surprise of his own waiting. Reno could almost taste Yuffie's sweet pink lips already.

As the four of them kept walking, they began to hear sounds coming from down the hallway. It was two men arguing.

"…checkmate. I win."

"_What?"_ another cried, "Your queen wasn't there before!"

"Yes, it was. You're seeing things."

"_No it wasn't!_ It was in the corner before I got a drink!"

"It was always there, I tell you!"

"You cheated! Cheater! CHEATER!" the other man screamed, his tone growing livid.

"I didn't! I…!"

"CHEATER! DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID? CHEATER! I'M GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY!"

"N-Now…calm down…!" his companion begged, sounding terrified, "It's just a game…n-no…no wait, please…AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

There was a choked gurgle, the sound of a door slamming, and then silence. By the time they got to the next room, the other couple were shaking like leaves.

There was only one man in the parlor. Sitting in a chair beside a chess game, he was slumped back, eyes wide, mouth open in a silent cry. Blood was coursing down his body in streams. The offending queen was sticking half-way out of his throat.

The young woman let out a shrill scream so loud it could have broken glass, if there had been any glass to be broken. Yuffie shot her an angry glare, as if to say _Do you mind? I'm trying to enjoy this!_ But the young woman didn't take the hint. She grabbed onto her companion and buried her face in his shirt, taking deep, petrified gasps in between whimpers. He just stood there in silent terror, eyes locked on the horrific display.

"What the heck's wrong with those two?" the ninja grumbled in annoyance, "They act like they've never seen a dead body before!"

But Reno didn't reply. He was fixated on something on the wall. Scrawled onto the plaster motif in fresh, bloody letters were the words:

_You're Next_

Yuffie noticed this as well, but she merely cast a quizzical gaze at the grim message.

"Huh, that's weird. The words are still dripping. They must have _just_ painted that. Guess they didn't think it was scary enough…"

The ninja turned back to the Turk beside her, blinked, and frowned.

"Hey, what happened to your goggles, Reno?"

Reno whipped a hand to his head. His fingers only met with skin and hair.

"I-I…I dunno…" he replied nervously. "Maybe I dropped them…"

Yuffie's frown dissolved back into a smile.

"You've gotta be more careful, carrot-top!" she giggled, walking after the other couple, whose pace was rapidly increasing.

Reno gave one more fearful glance at the display. Maybe that message wasn't meant for him. It could have been just painted, like Yuffie thought. Perhaps he was just being paranoid. As he turned to leave, a glimmer caught his eye, and he froze.

The dead man was wearing a pair of black goggles.

Letting out a choke, the Turk wheeled around and half-sprinted towards Yuffie's receding back. He was _seriously_ reconsidering his decision.

Reno had just caught up to her when there came another shrill shriek from in front of them. The ninja rolled her eyes.

"Aw, hell, what'd she see now? A cockroach?"

"_VAMPIRE!"_ came the young woman's scream, _"IT'S A VAMPIRE!"_

A wide grin spread over Yuffie's lips. Seizing Reno's arm, she ran down the hall to where the other couple stood. Well, the young man stood. His girlfriend had fainted, and now he carried her limply in his arms. All color had drained from his face.

"Where is it?" the ninja asked excitedly, turning about, "Where is it?"

"In t-there…!" he gasped, his eyes as wide as saucers, "R-R-Red eyes…it had r-r-red eyes…it was walking around…_it w-wasn't anamatronic!"_

He shook his head furiously.

"_That's it! I can't take this crap! I'm out of here!"_

And with that, clutching his unconscious girlfriend in a death grip, the young man threw open the exit and ran outside.

Yuffie peered eagerly into the darkened corner, and scowled.

"_He-ey!_ There's no vampire in here! There's _nothing _in here! It's just empty! Those stupid pansies must have been seeing things!"

The ninja put her hands on her hips and stomped her foot.

"_Lame!"_ she hissed angrily, and began marching towards the stairs. "Come on, Reno! Let's go!"

"Uh…" the Turk said, forcing a small smile to conceal his growing dread, "You sure you want to? We could just go back to the park…if you want."

"Go back? Are you kidding? We're almost to the best part!" Yuffie laughed enthusiastically.

Reno's enthusiasm had long since jumped out the window. It, apparently, had more common sense then he had.


	5. Chapter 5

___**Hey everyone! Just to let you know, this is the final chapter, and it is a long one. I'm toying with the idea of writing a hurt/comfort story featuring Vincent and Yuffie next, so let me know if there's any interest on the subject. Hope you enjoy the last chapter, and please review!**_

___

* * *

_

When Yuffie and Reno reached the final floor, it was pitch black. The only light came from outside, flashes of lightening that brightened the sky. The muffled howling of wind and hammering of rain leached through the cracks of the house.

In short, it was creepy.

Reno wondered when the weather had taken such a sudden nose dive, and silently cursed the Haunted House engineers for deciding not to add lights to the third level. It was bad enough having a bloodthirsty sharpshooter after him; he sure didn't need ambiance. He was already scared half stupid, thank you very much.

Yuffie did not agree with his view.

"This…is…_AWESOME!"_ she exclaimed eagerly.

Much to his horror, the princess of Wutai promptly released her hold on him and ran blindly into the darkness, sounding so tickled-pink the Turk would have mistakenly thought she'd found a chest full of Materia.

_"Wait!"_ Reno yelled, before thinking, and quickly adding, "You could get hurt!"

But either she ignored him on purpose, or simply did not hear him, because she did not reply. A few moments later there was a shriek, followed by delighted giggles.

"Reno, com'ere! This guy's eating his own _leg!"_

Sweating profusely, Reno chased after her, but didn't get far.

He found himself on his rump for the second time that day. What he had thought was a doorway was obviously not one, as his throbbing head could attest. The Turk leaned against the wall and began to pull himself to his feet.

A cold, metal hand clamped around his ankle.

Reno cried out, and fell back on his butt. He swung his Electro-Mag Rod frenziedly, but connected only with air. The claw relinquished its hold.

In seconds, Reno was on his feet and sprinting towards where Yuffie's voice had come from. Suddenly, a flash of lightening illuminated the hallway, and he found himself standing face to face with the gunman. Vincent glared down at him, crimson eyes flashing murderously, his long black hair veiling his face like a death shroud.

Then the lightning passed, and Reno was once again left in darkness. He jumped backwards, brandishing his rod towards the general area he had seen him. The Turk stared blindly into the inky depths of the room, waiting. His heart was pounding deafeningly in his ears. Another lightning bolt struck, and brightened the room. It was empty. Vincent was gone.

In the distance, he heard a feminine laugh, and Reno charged towards it. At this point, he didn't care if Yuffie thought he was a wuss. No good night kiss was worth facing a sadistic psycho.

He ran and ran, fumbling around in the darkness, until he got to the room. Sure enough, the lightning struck, and revealed a bloody man dinning on his own severed limb. But Reno pointedly ignored the display, and scanned the area feverishly for Yuffie.

Nope. Empty.

Reno strained his ears, listening through the wind and thunder for her voice. It was in vain, however; he could hear nothing.

_"YUFFIE!"_ he yelled, hoping desperately that she would answer.

There was no reply.

Something brushed against him. The Turk sprang backwards, spewing a list of obscenities so profane Cid Highwind would have been proud. Unfortunately, he backed right into someone.

And it sure as heck wasn't Yuffie.

He whirled around to see the gunman's face. His lips were curled slightly, but his eyes were deadly; his expression was that of a cat toying with a mouse. He slowly raised his human hand to reveal Cerberus, his three-barreled pistol, gleaming black in the light.

It was then that Reno officially began to panic.

The room took that opportunity to go dark again. Reno dived to the ground, hoping that the ex-Turk couldn't see in the dark. There wasn't any gunfire. He took that as a good sign.

Although, Vincent could _actually_ just have been waiting for another clap of thunder to hide his shot.

Reno wasn't taking any chances. He hastily scrambled towards the far end of the room. Lightning flashed, and once again, he found himself alone. The red-head got to his feet. Goosebumps covered him from head to toe. He also had developed a rather serious case of shivering.

That case worsened when he heard heavy footsteps behind him. The Turk turned and started swinging. None of them connected, and to top it all off, a pointed boot stuck out and tripped him. He fell flat on his face.

A dark chuckle echoed eerily through the room. To Reno, it sounded like the devil himself.

The red-headed Turk pulled himself up shakily, clutching his Electro-Mag Rod in a white-knuckled grasp. His frazzled nerves were wearing thin. He jammed the power on his Electro-Mag Rod to full. It could take down a full-grown man in one hit now, even if that man was a deranged sharpshooter. Just one hit…

"Stop screwing with me, _Vincent!" _Reno cried, his voice going higher than he intended, "If you're going to attack me, _then attack me!"_

It wasn't exactly the brightest thing to say, but it did the trick. Sort of.

Suddenly, three barrels pressed against his forehead. Before Reno could yell, a metal claw clamped down over his mouth.

_"Silence,"_ a voice commanded icily, _"Or I'll silence you myself."_

The Turk was about to wet himself right then and there, but thankfully for him, he _was_ a good fighter, because his instincts took over. He jerked his Electro-Mag Rod rod up, simultaneously stepping backward. Muscle memory served him well; sparks danced over the metal arm, and both hands were hastily wrenched back. There was a hiss of pain.

Reno pulled away, wielding his weapon in his trembling hand. He was still terrified, but he had done it; he had landed a hit. The next time the room brightened, it would no doubt reveal the raven-haired man spasming on the floor.

Did that mean he would turn off his rod? _Hell no._

If the man had taken down the Emerald Weapon in one shot, he could no doubt shoot someone three feet away, even with electricity searing through his body.

A bolt of light streaked through the sky, and illuminated the room and its inhabitants…or the lack thereof. Reno was by himself once more. And he was not happy about it.

So he did something incredibly stupid.

_"VINCENT!"_ the red-headed Turk shouted in panicked frustration, "COME OUT HERE AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN, _DAMMIT!"_

An inhuman growl issued from the room's inky depths. Lightning flashed, and revealed the head of a purple, werewolf-like beast with glowing yellow eyes and fangs as long as human fingers. It clamped its jaws down on his Electro-Mag Rod, bending and twisting the metal like an accordion. The rod immediately shorted out.

Screwed. He was so very, very screwed.

Reno screamed. He screamed as loudly and shrilly as a thirteen year old girl, and he kept on screaming until his lungs were completely empty.

And then he ran.

He ran down the hallways, hurtling into displays, crashing into walls, until he finally saw the neon exit sign beaming angelically above the doorway. He was sprinting so fast that when he got out the door, he missed the first three steps entirely and rolled down the rest of the stairs. Then the Turk got up and kept running until he reached the hotel, his pride mangled, but thankful his body was not.

* * *

Vincent walked down the quiet streets. Unlike what the monitor 'windows' had showed on the third floor, the night was actually calm and cloudless. At this hour, the park was nearly abandoned, something the gunman was grateful for. He had a way of attracting attention that he did not necessarily enjoy…like the poor couple who had glimpsed him in the Haunted House.

He frowned.

_Vampire._ One look, and they had called him a vampire. Not that Vincent could particularly blame them; looking at himself in the mirror was – unsettling – and his tattered cape surely didn't help matters. He was just glad they had not seen his claw.

And Reno…that pitiful, idiotic fool. He hadn't planned on releasing the Galian Beast, but of course he had just _had_ to say something that made him lose control. Not that he didn't relish the results; the look on the red-head's face had been enough to put him in a good mood for hours. Reno had lost the girl _and_ been humiliated. The gunman almost felt sorry for the poor bastard.

Almost.

Vincent laughed quietly to himself, and shook his head.

Ah, that had been fun. Perhaps he'd have to visit Haunted Houses more often.

His smile vanished, however, at the sight of a certain ninja. Yuffie was sitting alone on a park bench, shoulders slumped, starring at her feet. A forlorn expression occupied her usually cheerful face.

A pang of guilt suddenly rose in Vincent's heart as a painful realization became apparent.

He had hurt her. Inadvertently, but he had still hurt her.

The gunman had been so consumed by his jealousy, by his need to protect her, that the thought that driving the Turk off would grieve her had never occurred to him. Now, because he had meddled in her affairs, Yuffie was hurting. And Vincent hated himself for it.

As if feeling his eyes on her, the girl glanced towards him. She forced a smile and stood up.

"Hey, Vincent! I was wondering when you'd show up!"

"Wondering when I'd show up…?" he asked slowly, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

The ninja waved him off.

"Oh please, hold the baloney. I know you were following me an' Reno all night."

Vincent froze. His mind raced to comprehend what she had just said. When it did, he came to the bleak conclusion that he was in trouble.

"Y-You…you knew…?"

Yuffie winked at him, smirking.

"You can't sneak up on the greatest ninja of all time, especially not in a bright red cape. Good effort, though. All I can say is you better have enough Gil to pay for that neon sign you broke.

"I…" The gunman began, looking for the words to apologize for his immature behavior.

The princess of Wutai leaned over, and pressed a finger to his lips.

"It's okay," she said, her voice surprisingly gentle, "I was really mad at first…like, _I Want Vincent Valentine's Head On A Silver Platter_ kind of mad…but then I thought about it, and I thought about you, and I realized that the only reason you'd be spying on me is to make sure I was safe. Right?"

Vincent paused, before his crimson eyes filled with shame, and fell to the ground.

"I…I'm sorry. I know you are more than capable of taking care of yourself. I don't know what came over me. I acted like a petulant child."

"You don't have to fall all over yourself," Yuffie giggled, "I already told you its okay. Besides…"

Her bright auburn eyes met his crimson ones.

"…I kind of _like_ having you fuss over me."

Then she smiled at him. A warm, shy smile.

Vincent felt a wonderful heat bloom in his chest, melting away the lingering bitterness and jealousy. He was glad he had worn his cape now, because the top hid the faint blush that had risen to his cheeks. It took a full moment for him to be able to speak.

"Nevertheless," he said quietly, "I feel I should apologize to Reno."

Yuffie blinked.

"Huh?" she said, her brow furrowing, "Apologize? Whaddya mean?"

Vincent stared at her, and suddenly became acutely aware that Yuffie didn't know about his activities inside the Haunted House. Well, at least, she _hadn't_ known. But the cogs were sure turning _now._

"Wait a minute…_you didn't…!"_

Her eyes narrowed, her auburn eyes flaring with rage, and, in spite of everything he had overcome in his life, all the tortures he had gone through, Vincent still felt the hair on the back of his neck prick up.

"YOU _WERE_ IN THE HAUNTED HOUSE!" the ninja yelled furiously, "YOU WERE THE VAMPIRE! YOU WERE THE REASON HE _DITCHED _ME! VINCENT VALENTINE, YOU HAVE EXACTLY FIVE SECONDS BEFORE MY BOOT GOES UP YOUR GOTHIC ASS!"

This time, it was Vincent's turn to run.

* * *

Cid Highwind, Cloud Strife, and Tifa Lockheart were all together at the bar. Cid had been there all day; Cloud and Tifa had just joined him briefly to grab a bite to eat. They were just sitting down at a booth when the black-haired martial artist noticed a swath of red traveling over the rooftops.

"Hey," she said aloud, peering out the window, "Isn't that Vincent?"

Cloud and Cid looked as well. Sure enough, the gunman was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, his cape billowing in the wind. Though he was a good distance away, it looked like his pace was even faster than normal.

"Yeah, it is," Cloud replied, frowning, "What's he doing?"

"Running, it looks like," a less-than-sober Cid said gruffly, taking another swig of his beer.

"Why, though?" Tifa wondered aloud.

The answer soon came into view. A certain ninja was close on his heels.

"Vincent's running…" the martial artist said slowly, "…from Yuffie?"

"Smart man," Cid declared.

They watched as she chased after the gunman. Even inside the bar, they could hear her voice.

"GET BACK HERE, _DAMMIT!_ LEVIATHAN HELP ME, I'M GOING TO RIP OFF YOUR CLAW AND BEAT YOU TO DEATH WITH IT! THEN I'M GOING TO STRANGLE YOU WITH YOUR OWN CAPE! AND THEN I'M _NEVER_ TALKING TO YOU AGAIN! _YOU HEAR ME?"_

Tifa's shoulders slumped.

"Oh no…" she said helplessly, "He didn't ruin her date, did he?"

She suddenly turned to Cloud, glaring at him accusingly.

"_What_ did you say to him?"

"All I said was for him to do something he enjoyed…" the ex-SOLDIER insisted.

"Sounds like he did just that," the drunk pilot chuckled, eyeing his blond companion, "And guess _who _she's gonna blame?"

Cloud paled slightly, and rubbed his temples wearily.

"I think I need a drink."

"I think we all will," Tifa added, imagining how hard it would be to put up with an infuriated version of the hyperactive ninja.

"Aw, don't worry," Cid assured, draining his glass, "She'll forget all about it by morning. Hell, she's had a crush on the damn vampire since ya pulled him out of his coffin. If he ever stopped brooding for three seconds, he'd realize that."

Tifa watched as the two disappeared from sight, and smiled.

"You know…she _has_ had a good effect on him."

"Damn straight!" Cid huffed, and stood up, raising his glass up drunkly, "A toast! To undead ninja babies!"

Tifa's smile vanished as she choked on the peanuts she had been eating.

Cloud suddenly looked very, very ill.

"Now I know I need a drink…" he whispered.

___

* * *

_

_The End_


End file.
